1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deodorizer for refrigerators or the like which is provided for removing odor components from air in the storage compartments of the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the refrigerators have a problem that when one or more foodstuffs stored in the storage compartment stink, the storage compartments are filled with foul odor or smell, or the mixture of some kind of such odor or smell, which adheres to the other foodstuffs.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the prior art has provided deodorizing means. One of such deodorizing means is an adsorbent such as activated charcoal. The adsorbent is placed in the storage compartment for adsorbing the odors to remove them from the air in the storage compartment. The prior art has provided another deodorizing means comprising an ozonizer and catalyzer, wherein ozone generated by the ozonizer is reacted with the odor components contained in the air in the storage compartment, thereby oxidizing and therefore decomposing the odor components. The ozone remaining is dissolved by the catalyzer.
However, in the above-described former deodorizing means, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent has a definite limit and accordingly, duration of the deodorizing capability of the adsorbent does not last long. On the other hand, the latter deodorizing means requires the catalyzer for decomposing the ozone harmful to the human body as well as the ozonizer, whereby the construction of the deodorizing means is complicated.
It has been contemplated that heat would be applied to the conventional adsorbent so that the adsorbent recovers its adsorbing capability. However, a duct or the like will be required to exhaust the odor components removed from the adsorbent by application of heat thereto, thereby complicating the construction of the deodorizer.